Winter's Voice
by fantasyinfinity
Summary: She could still see themselves on the frozen lake. She could still hear them laughing, skating along the seemingly safe icy surface, before all too soon it began to break. She could still remember when it was cracking beneath her, but then he'd saved her and switched their places. It always hurt to know... that now he was gone. One-shot.


This is just an authors note up here muahahahaha, but skip down to the actual story if you want.

Ok so I guess I _should_ be working on chapter 9 of my other main fanfic, for those of you who are reading it.. but I just couldn't help writing this ahh. It's basically about Jack's sister and so on. Lol you'll have to read to find out. Now, her name wasn't exactly revealed in the movie, but I just used Emma here so yeah. ^^

If you want you can also read my other two fanfics Alone and ALITD (A Light in the Darkness, of which I _might_ change the title of later on, maybe). ALITD's an eventual JackxOC fanfic tho. Just sayin :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

* * *

**Winter's Voice**

* * *

_"It's okay, it's okay. Don't look down, just, look at me." _

_"Jack . . . I'm scared." _

_"I know, I know . . . but, you're gonna be alright. You're not gonna fall in. Uh, we're gonna have a little fun, instead."_

_"No, we're not!"_

_"Would I trick you?"_

_"Yes! You always play tricks."_

_"Ohoho, alright, but, well not-not-not this time. I promise, I promise . . you're gonna be . . you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me . . . You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch! L-Like we play every day. I-It's as easy as one . . woahh . . two . . . three! Alright, okay . . okay. Now it's your turn. One . . yeah, that's it, that's it. Two . . . three! Yeah! Haha. Woah!"_

_"Jack!"'_

She sat, cradling her knees up to her chest and staring out into the lake. The memories... his voice.. her own frightened words.. they all haunted her, echoing through her mind until her eyes stung with unshed tears. The water was crystal clear, glimmering in the spring afternoon sunlight, but she could still see its frozen surface.

She could still see him with her, guiding her wobbly little steps on the ice, always quick to help her up before she fell. He'd make a few humorous remarks, making her laugh. And then, all too soon, she could hear herself gasp. She could hear the ice breaking apart, cracking like lightning, right from under her feet in a spider's web.

Jack was quick to act, reassuring her with his words, that everything was gonna be alright. She was scared, but she was able to trust him. She knew he'd help her. And somehow he managed to make it all sound like a game, too. His plan worked. He threw her out of the weak spot in the ice and took her place. She could hear themselves laugh in nervous relief, before the ice gave away completely. And he was gone.

The girl let out a whimper. The scene kept replaying over and over in her head.

The two skating.

The ice cracking.

Jack saving her.

Jack falling in, instead.

And sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if it was her fault.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She imagined if maybe she'd refused to him. She imagined what would've happened if she hadn't played along with his 'game,' if maybe she'd been the one to have the ice give away beneath her. Or if she got up faster, pushing her older brother out of the way. Maybe they could've both lived.

But that was too many _maybe's_. Too may _if'_s. She knew she couldn't just go back into the past and change what's already happened, no matter how much she wanted to. So she just buried her head in her knees and let the tears go.

It was her thirteenth birthday yesterday. Emma was now three years older than she had been the last time she was with Jack. It's been almost three years without him. She didn't know how she even bared it, but somehow she did. If Jack were still around, he'd make her day ten times better. On her tenth birthday he'd given her a necklace. Attached to the thick string, which was actually just an old black shoelace cut short, was a wooden flower pendant. The flower had six pointed petals, making it almost look more like a snowflake than a flower. It wasn't too unique, but Jack had made it himself for her, and she wore it every day since he'd gave it to her. Emma pulled it out from under her dress and stared down at it, tears still rimming her eyes. She clutched it tightly to her chest.

"I miss you so much, Jack," she whispered.

A cold breeze chilled her tear-streaked face. She sighed, wiping away the leftover tears from her eyes. _Don't cry, _the wind seemed to whisper. She tried her best not to anymore. Emma took a few shaky breaths, calming herself. She leaned against the boulder behind her, closing her eyes.

Something cold touched her nose. The girl gasped, blinking her eyes open again and rubbing at it with her dress sleeve. Suddenly, she noticed that the air around her felt much cooler, too. Bits of white fell down from the sky... _Snow?_

"What's going on?" she whispered, more out of confusion than shock. The wind seemed to chuckle, blowing the hair back from her face.

Frost coated the tips of a stray tulip and ice ferns crawled up along the boulder. Snowflakes swirled around her. One of them floated towards her and landed right on her nose, another bite of cold numbing it. She giggled, all her sadness from before suddenly being swept away. And then there were squirrels, bunnies, and birds of ice prancing all around her, before bursting into a flurry of snow. The girl plucked up the tulip, bringing it closer and softly brushing her fingers against the frost. She could certainly feel the cold - it had to be real. She couldn't be dreaming. Emma was wide-eyed in amazement.

But_ how? _There wasn't a single cloud in the sky for all of this to be coming from. She didn't even begin to think about how those moving snow animals were there. It was like winter... but in the middle of the spring. It was.. magical. What she also noticed, though, was that it was only happening around _her. _

_Smile, _the wind seemed to say.

She faltered. Not at the voice she heard again, but... She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd really smiled, for real. She'd always been with Jack, and he'd always been there with her, for her. But ever since that last day, that last day they'd skated together... he wasn't here now, and now he couldn't ever be. Not anymore. And that's what made Emma want to break down in tears again.

_"Hey, don't be sad," _the faintly louder, somehow comforting voice in the wind said. Emma realized she'd been holding her knees up to her chest again, head hidden beneath her arms. She raised her head. There wasn't anyone else in sight.

She sighed to herself. "I miss him so much," she whimpered.

_"But he wouldn't want you to be sad, right?"_

Emma considered for a moment. Whether the voice was just her subconscious, or actually winter's voice or whatever it may be, it was right. Jack would never want her to be so sad. Whenever she was upset, or crying, she remembered how he'd always try and do something goofy to make her laugh. Or he'd start a game, or tell a joke, or make up stories. Anything to make her smile.

From a distance, she could start to hear the laughs and shouts of the other village children, probably coming out here to play.

_"Smile," _the gentle, deep voice repeated._ "Get up and have a little fun."_

The brunette girl managed to give a small smile, and it wasn't too reluctant. The voice somehow reminded her of Jack, always all about fun. She got up, not bothering to dust off the back of her dress. It was already half-soaked in melted snow, but she didn't mind much. She didn't know for sure why, but she'd always felt comfort in the winter, even after the one day at the lake. She stretched out a hand and caught a crystalline snowflake in her palm. It was amazing how something so small, made of only ice, could be so intricately beautiful. She hated to see it melt away so fast.

But she guessed that, sometimes, even something you love so much will go eventually. You don't have to forget it, but you can let it go.

Not just yet leaving, Emma stared out at the shimmering lake and whispered two words. "Thank you." Then she turned and left.

After walking few steps away from the pond, she'd glanced back once, and thought she saw a flash of brown and white. And a boy... with blue eyes and hair like snow.


End file.
